Uttar Pradesh opposes bail plea of Kerala scribe Kappan in Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government Monday opposed in the Supreme Court the bail plea of Kerala-based scribe Siddique Kappan, arrested on his way to Hathras where a young Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped, saying he has been "associated" with PFI, responsible for disrupting public peace by provoking "the class and caste conflicts".

The state government in its additional affidavit, filed through Satya Prakash Upadhyay, Special Secretary of Department of Home Affairs, has given details of the probe conducted by its Special Task Force (STF) so far in the case and vehemently opposed the bail plea of Kappan moved by Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ).

"Kappan has been associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) which has been responsible for disrupting the pubic peace of the State by provoking the class and caste conflicts within the State with an intention to destroy the public order and to tarnish the image of the government established by law…" the affidavit said.

"Investigation has also revealed that the accused Kappan is not only involved in hatching a design to commit a cognizable offence to disrupt public order an pace but is also a mastermind having links with various unfortunate riots, disturbing public tranquility nationwide," it said. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde fixed the plea of KUWJ questioning Kappan's arrest for hearing in the third week of January after asking it to file the reply to the additional affidavit of the state government.

The bail application filed by KUWJ in respect of the accused being devoid of merits and deserved to be rejected for the reason that the investigation in the case has been handed over to the Special Task Force and the his custody is required for "thorough and effective investigation", the state government said. "Further various evidences are yet to be collected /recorded and it is to be noted that the nature of the evidence that has been collected so far supports the accusation levelled against the accused," it said.

If the bail application is accepted by the apex court, then there was a "strong" likelihood of Kappan fleeing and indulging in similar activities, it said, adding that the accused may interfere with the smooth investigation.

"Kappan and all other accused are directly and closely associated with the PFI members who have been executive members of 'banned terrorist organization SIMI," it said. During the interrogation on October 5, Kappan had presented a fake identity card claiming himself to be a reporter of a Malyalam Newspaper 'Thejas', it said.